Look after your animals in this heat!

charlies-aunt

Great thread - thanks everyone for the great tips

We are first time dog owner - we have a black working labrador (rescued) and she has been very hot - we have ripped up the kitchen floor to expose the quarry tile floor so she has somewhere cold to lay and kept her in (very much against her inclination!) through the day.

I was wondering if it would be best to get her clipped out? She has a very thick, dense coat and its so water resistant we have had a job getting her wet through to her skin. Or is it best to leave it alone?

catkins

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Good thread - you would think everyone would be clued up on this sort of stuff, but - I went to an outdoor event yesterday... they kept making announcements over the tannoy for people to return to their cars immediately as there were concerns about their dogs...

What sort of an idiot leaves a dog in a car in temperatures above 80 degrees...

unbelievable:(

Probably the same idiots who walk their dogs in full sun in the middle of the day!

I get up extra early in hot weather to walk my dog at 5.30 am and then walk him about 11pm! No need for everyone to go this extreme but my dog is black with long very thick fur and dislikes almost all weather except snow and rain!

Frugalista

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Great thread - thanks everyone for the great tips

We are first time dog owner - we have a black working labrador (rescued) and she has been very hot - we have ripped up the kitchen floor to expose the quarry tile floor so she has somewhere cold to lay and kept her in (very much against her inclination!) through the day.

I was wondering if it would be best to get her clipped out? She has a very thick, dense coat and its so water resistant we have had a job getting her wet through to her skin. Or is it best to leave it alone?

No! Don't clip off a labrador :eek: - they are supposed to have a dense coat. Get one of those grooming tools that strip out the undercoat (the name escapes me at the moment ) and thin her coat that way.

Also, don't just dampen the top of her coat as it will act like a sauna. If you can't find somewhere for her to be completely immersed or soaked - then just give her somewhere cool to lie.

Frugalista

toniq wrote: »

Just ran back and flattened them! have a giant chest freezer so have done 5, so he always has one on the go, he is asleep at mo infront of fan but is very grumpy.

You'll have to let us all know tomorrow what he thinks of them .

Cati_Jane

My cats love magi cool sprayed near them (or a supermarkets own version as i prefer the price of it!)

foreign_correspondent

Frugalista wrote: »

No! Don't clip off a labrador :eek: - they are supposed to have a dense coat. Get one of those grooming tools that strip out the undercoat (the name escapes me at the moment ) and thin her coat that way.

Furminator?

I agree, dont clipper your lab, her fur may never be the same again! :eek:

Frugalista

Cati_Jane wrote: »

My cats love magi cool sprayed near them (or a supermarkets own version as i prefer the price of it!)

Oooh! Yes! I'd forgotten about that - we used to use it at the dog shows to keep our dogs cool in the showring :cool:. Also, those water sprayers with the battery operated fan on - keep misting their heads with that. Keep them all in the fridge or a cool box for maximum effect.

To be honest, we used the water spray on ourselves and kept the (more expensive)Magi-Cool for the dogs :rotfl::rotfl:.

Frugalista

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Furminator?

I agree, dont clipper your lab, her fur may never be the same again! :eek:

That's the one :T (apologies for my ageing brain ).

chris_n_tj

I will own up and say I was getting a bit worried about TJ this afternoon, the heat really got to him big time. Puffing and panting, no matter what I tried it didnt help.
Well I reread this thread and put towels in the freezer, ice cubes in the water bowl, got a water bottle spray lol yeap I gave the lot a go.
Like most of you its early morning and later nights walking for us. Its very hot and humid here tonite, the fans are on but it looks like being a long night.
Thanks everyone for the great tips they all help.
Chris n TJ
PS I do love summer but its drops on us so quick. We dont get a change to ready our selves for it. Bet it will be raining mid week lol.

meames_2

old towel in freezer now. last night I had to get the ice packs for the picnic bag and put them on hois tummy, plus magi coll the poor dear. He is so hot.